BROWN SQUARE AND STREET; ARMY VEHICLES; SOLDIERS ON GUARD; SOLDIERS GOING IN TO CANTEEN; VOLUNTEER WORKERS SERVING AND SOLDIERS EATING AND DRINKING; COLONEL BEING INTERVIEWED (NATSOF AND SOF).



TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEWER: "COLONEL, HOW BADLY HAVE YOUR TROOPS NEEDED SOMETHING LIKE THIS"?



COLONEL: "WELL ITS A TREMENDOUS HELP TO HAVE THIS SORT OF THING, WHICH MAKES THEIR OFF-DUTY HOURS SO MUCH MORE PLEASANT. AND, I COULDN'T BE MORE GRATEFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF BELFAST WHO'VE BEEN SO KIND AND HOSPITABLE SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE - AND ARE NOW HELPING IN THIS VERY TANGIBLE WAY TO PRODUCE A VERY GOOD FACILITY FOR THE SOLDIERS WHEN THE'RE OFF DUTY.



INTERVIEWER: "HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR RELATIONS NOW ARE WITH THE CIVILIANS AMONG WHOM YOU WORK?"



COLONEL: "ON THE WHOLE, VERY GOOD INDEED - I'VE MET SOME OF THE MOST GENEROUS AND KIND PEOPLE IN MY LIFE, PARTICULARLY IN THE BACK STREETS OF BELFAST, WHO'VE BEEN ENORMOUSLY KIND TO THE TROOPS WHEN THE'VE BEEN ON DUTY IN THE STREETS".




Initials LD/V/DW/MH



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE FORMER BROWN SQUARE POLICE STATION IN BELFAST'S PETER'S HILL DISTRICT OPENED YESTERDAY (MONDAY) AS THE FIRST CIVILIAN CANTEEN FOR THE REST AND RECREATION OF THE BRITISH TROOPS STATIONED IN NORTHERN IRELAND. THE FIRST "CUSTOMERS" WERE MEN OF THE 2ND LIGHT INFANTRY, WHOSE COMMANDER SPOKE TO REPORTERS ABOUT THE SOLDIERS' RELATIONS WITH BELFAST'S CIVILIAN POPULATION.

THE CANTEEN IS ORGANISED AND RUN BY THE NORTH BELFAST FRIENDSHIP COMMUNITY, A GROUP OF VOLUNTARY WORKERS FROM SEVENTEEN CHURCHES OF ROMAN CATHOLIC, PROTESTANT AND JEWISH FAITHS. IT IS HOPED THAT MORE SUCH CENTRES WILL BE OPENED IN OTHER AREAS OF BELFAST IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. INITIALLY THEY WILL SUPPLY TEA AND SNACKS, BUT LATER IT IS EXPECTED THAT THEY WILL SERVE SOUPS, SANDWICHES AND HOT-DOGS. THE 2ND LIGHT INFANTRY'S COLONEL SPOKE TO REPORTERS AFTER THE CANTEEN'S OPENING: